Skincare has never really been my forte. I’m definitely the type of girl who just used whatever mum bought from Tesco and that was that. I would go as far as saying I bothered to take my makeup off most nights (and feel proud whilst doing it) but other than that, my skincare regime has been pretty poor. Recently, I’ve been noticing how WUBBISH my skin actually is. I suffer from pretty much everything terrible; large pores, oily t-zone, blackheads, prone to breakouts etc etc (WHY. WHY MUST YOU SPITE ME, FACE). A bad skin routine hasn’t really helped this either and as I have become an old and wise twenty-something, I have decided that things have to change.

For people who have read a lot of our blog, you might have noticed that Claire and I are not ashamed to be bargain lovers. We’re firm believers in Primark, cheap tan from Bodycare and general poor person behaviour. This is partly because we are a bit poor (rent and council tax is something neither of us are fans of) but also because spending £20 on a plain tshirt when you could get it for £3 seems a bit silly. Saying that, I have come to notice that spending a bit of money on certain things does go a long way. For example, shoes that don’t feel like you’re walking with a thin bit of cardboard between your foot and the pavement are quite pleasant. Makeup that doesn’t give you a giant head rash is also preferable. And now I have joined the ‘skincare that doesn’t cost £2 is probably a good idea’ club.

This all came about approximately 3 days ago when I was having a lovely conversation on Twitter with a beauty blogger who had done a Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel review (check her blog out here – Shot of Beauty). She got me thinking that it was probably time to bite the bullet and invest in some decent skincare and when I went shopping on Sunday, there was a Clarins offer on. It was fate. I shed a few tears. I clutched at the box with unadulterated happiness and shelled out £20 for a Clarins set. It wasn’t the cleansing gel I had my eye on but you can’t really shake your head at a bottle of cleansing milk, a bottle of toner, a little tube of exfoliator AND a washbag for £20. It’s definitely a good start and a good way to ease myself into the world of proper, grown up face care.

As I mentioned, the set included Cleansing Milk (with gentian), Lotion Tonique (with iris) and their Gentle Refiner exfoliator (with microbeads, ooo-er). It’s designed for oily/combination skin, which is grand because this is what my face actually is. I’ve only been using it for a few days, so I can’t give a full review but what I can say is that I have noticed a difference already. My skin looks a lot smoother, it feels fresher and I find that I don’t have to powder my nose as much throughout the day. The exfoliator seems to have done a good job with minimising my blackheads so I am excited to see what a few weeks of using the three together will do. I’ll keep you all updated with the results and do a more detailed review later on!

I also bought a product that I have heard quite a few mixed reviews on. I needed a new moisturiser, so decided to invest in the Nivea Express Hydration Primer from Bodycare for £2.99 (not breaking the bargain habit quite yet). I’ve actually been really pleased with it. It’s kind of a mix between a moisturiser and a primer so it feels a bit strange when it goes on. It doesn’t have the texture of either really and the only way I can explain it is that it is a watery gel texture. Saying that, I feel it gives the best of both worlds. My skin feels moisturised and my makeup is staying on a lot better than before, so a definite win-win in my books! What do you all think? Have you tried this before?

All in all, quite a successful skincare haul and I’m looking forward to seeing what difference it makes to my skin in the coming weeks. I’ll never have perfect skin but hopefully it will begin to even out and look a bit more fresh with proper care.

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